Vatsov, Mihail; Vakleva, Polina --- "The shadow of bicameralism in a unicameral state: Dispersed functional bicameralism in Bulgaria?" [2019] ELECD 1867; in Albert, Richard; Baraggia, Antonia; Fasone, Cristina (eds), "Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 120

Book Title: Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures

Editor(s): Albert, Richard; Baraggia, Antonia; Fasone, Cristina

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section: Chapter 8

Section Title: The shadow of bicameralism in a unicameral state: Dispersed functional bicameralism in Bulgaria?

Author(s): Vatsov, Mihail; Vakleva, Polina

Number of pages: 22

Abstract/Description:

By drawing on the Bulgarian constitutional case, the chapter proposes the notion of ‘functional bicameralism’. The chapter illustrates this idea with reference to the Bulgarian legislature, a formally unicameral parliament where other institutions have historically served the functions and values of bicameralism. After reviewing the attempts (and failures) that have been historically carried out to introduce a formal bicameral system in the country, the authors assess whether and to what extent institutions like the President, the Constitutional Court and the Grand National Assembly could actually be viewed as second chambers ‘lookalikes’.